Manufacturing methods for a decoder board for an optical reader utilizing a plurality of imaging formats

Abstract

The invention is a method of manufacturing a microprocessor-based decoder board for an optical reader having a plurality of imaging modules that provide frames of image data having a plurality of formats. In one method for operating the decoder board of the invention, and a multiple imaging module reader comprising the decoder board, a frame of image data captured by a selected imaging module is decoded. The decoder board determines the format of the frame of image data from information about which of the plurality of imaging modules provided the frame of image data or from information about the frame of image data, activates as necessary a command to prepare the decoder board to decode the frame of image data according to the format provided by the imaging module, and performs the decoding.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing an optical reader utilizing a selected one of a one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and a two-dimensional (2D) imaging module, comprising: 
 providing a microprocessor-based decoder module that, when operative, decodes a frame of image data provided by a selected one of said one-dimensional (1D) imaging module and said two-dimensional (2D) imaging module as a component of said optical reader, wherein said decoding is responsive to information selected from one of information relating to said selected imaging module and information relating to said frame of image data.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor-based decoder module is configured to be reprogrammed to accept and decode frames of image data having different formats from a plurality of different sensors.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor-based decoder module is configured to be reprogrammed by installation and activation of a dynamically linked library module that provides at least one of communicating information from a computer program operating on the microprocessor-based decoder module to the imaging module, and communicating image data from the imaging module to a module of the computer program operating on the microprocessor-based decoder module that receives a frame of image data.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor-based decoder module is configured to allow switching operation from a first sensor providing a frame of image data of a first format to a second sensor providing a frame of image data of a second format by redirecting the microprocessor-based decoder module to use a different computer program for said first sensor than is used for said second sensor.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor-based decoder module is configured to allow switching operation from a first sensor providing a frame of image data of a first format to a second sensor providing a frame of image data of a second format by redirecting the microprocessor-based decoder module to use a different dynamically linked library module for said first sensor than is used for said second sensor.  
     
     
         6 . A method for manufacturing a family of symbology reader products, said family including one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) reader products, said method comprising, for each reader product in the family of symbology reader products, the steps of: 
 providing a main processor IC chip having an integrated frame grabber unit of sufficient capacity to capture 2D frames of image data, said main processor IC chip having sufficient computational power to manipulate 2D frames of image data, said main processor IC chip having a port configured to accept data from a 1D imaging module representative of one of a 1D image and a 2D image and, said main processor IC chip having a port configured to accept data from a 2D imaging module representative of a 2D image;    providing at least one of a 1D imaging module and a 2D imaging module; and    assembling a reader product comprising said main processor IC chip and said at least one of a 1D imaging module and a 2D imaging module;    whereby an economic saving that is attributable to the use of a single model of main processor IC chip exceeds an economic hardship attributable to the use of said main processor IC chip having sufficient computational power to manipulate 2D frames of image data with said 1D imaging module.    
     
     
         7 . The manufacturing method of  claim 6 , further comprising providing at least one software module for configuring said main processor IC chip, said reader product configured by said software to decode an image provided by said at least one imaging module when said software is operative on said main processor IC chip.  
     
     
         8 . The manufacturing method of  claim 6 , wherein an equivalent main processor IC chip is provided for each reader product in the family of symbology reader products.  
     
     
         9 . The manufacturing method of  claim 6 , wherein said port configured to accept data from said 1D imaging module and said port configured to accept data from said 2D imaging module are the same port.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said main processor IC chip is configured to be reprogrammed to accept and decode frames of image data having different formats from a plurality of different sensors.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said main processor IC chip is configured to be reprogrammed by installation and activation of a dynamically linked library module that provides at least one of communicating information from a computer program operating on the main processor IC chip to the imaging module, and communicating image data from the imaging module to a module of the computer program operating on the main processor IC chip that receives a frame of image data.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said main processor IC chip is configured to allow switching operation from a first sensor providing a frame of image data of a first format to a second sensor providing a frame of image data of a second format by redirecting the main processor IC chip to use a different computer program for said first sensor than is used for said second sensor.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said main processor IC chip is configured to allow switching operation from a first sensor providing a frame of image data of a first format to a second sensor providing a frame of image data of a second format by redirecting the main processor IC chip to use a different dynamically linked library module for said first sensor than is used for said second sensor.